Cotton Tufts to Abigail Adams

No. 1

[dateline] Weymouth Octobr. 14. 1785

[salute] My Dear Cousin

Your agreable Letter of May. 10.1 from Auteuil I received by your Son. His Absence You will feel and I do not wonder
that you parted with him with Regret as his Ability to relieve his Parents from many
Cares and Burdens must have been great. He is now pursuing his Studies with his Uncle
Shaw, more especially in the Latin and Greek Languages. In other Respects he was qualified
to have entered in the Third Year. With submission to Providence We propose agreable
to the Advice of the President to offer him next April. He will then have a Year and
a Quarter before taking a Degree. Master Charles is now at the University. He has
a Chamber there, and I flatter myself from his good Dispositions, that I shall be
able to give you much Pleasure in my future Communications.

As You are now in London I please myself with the Hopes, that my Letters will reach
you with more Certainty and Security, than heretofore.

We have had a luxuriant Crop of Hay this Summer, but a [dr]ought succeeded and our Corn and latter Feed are very short. This, your Farm will
feel. Pratt2 has been unfortunate in the Loss of Two Horn Cattle and one Hog, the first by the
horn Distemper, the second a young Hefer of some Disease unknown, the Hog died of
a Distemper which has prevailed in Braintree among Swine. Phoebe tells me some of
her Poultry have had the same Disorder. Some Horses have also died with it. It is
said to be begin with a Swelling on the external Part of the Throat, increases till
it prevents swallowing, even reaches to the Head and the Beast dies strangled. Diseases
formerly unknown amongst our Cattle and Swine have latterly become frequent in one
Part of the Country and another. If there is any Modern Treatise (that Mr. Adams can
recommend and is not too bulky) wrote in England, I wish him to purchase for me and
forward it. The Preservation of our Beasts is a Matter of great Consequence to us,
there is scarcely a Farmer but what annually loses one or more.3

The Work on your House at Boston is compleated. Rents have fallen greatly and will
be still lower, owing to the Scarcity of Money and frequent Bankrupcies. I am doubtful
whether I shall be able to raise the Rent, notwithstanding the valuable Addition to
the House.

I think it will be best to purchase the half of the House and Land { 426 } which Elijah Belcher improves now claimed by the Heirs of[]4 Apthorp. Mr. Morton their Attorney tells me as soon as he has got Possession, he
shall dispose of it. This Purchase I should prefer to any others that have been proposed,
as that half which Mr. Belcher lives in is tumbling to Pieces and greatly injures
your half, and the land which belongs to it would make a valuable Addition to yours.
Veazies is too poor to be purchased whilst Taxes are so high. Indeed our Farms are
but of little Profit. Taxes and Labour consume it. Allen wishes to sell his Farm,
and has solicited me to confer with him upon the Subject of Sale, but I have not had
an Opportunity to visit him.

Sometime since Application was made to Mr. Isaiah Doane for the Payment of a Ballance
of Accountt with which his late Father stood chargd on Mr. Adams's Books. Mr. Doane
told Mr. Tyler, that he was confident that the Ballance was paid Mr. Adams on his
Return from Portsmouth (or about that Time,)5 but he is not able to produce any Receipt. He however says if Mr. Adams will say
that it has not been paid, He will instantly pay it, and desired that Mr. Adams might
be wrote to on the Subject. I desired Mr. Tyler to draw out the Account which he has
done and it is now enclosed6 and should be [issued?] as soon as may be to receive an Answer. I find that we are not to expect much from
old Debts. I have received some Money collected from them as you will see by my Account
transmitted to Mr. Adams.7

A wooden Bridge is now building from Charlestown to Boston. In the Spring Sessions
of the General Court License was granted, a Company incorporated to enjoy the Toll
for 40 Years—after which it is to enure to the Commonwealth—the Company to pay the
University £200 per an. in lieu of the Ferrage. The Business is pursued with great
Vigour and will be compleated in the Course of next Summer.

Mrs. Tufts has been confined to her Room for near Three M[onths] past and much of the Time to her Bed. Her Health has been failin[g for a?] Year or two past. Last Spring after her usual Cough, her Di[sease . . .?] on her Limbs and at length on her Ancles with excruciat[ing pain, with?] parts discoloured with a purple Hue terminating in a green and yellow Hue resembling
the Dispersion of a Bruise. In the latter End of July she was seized with a Dysentery
and for a considerable Time I viewed her Case as desperate. Of this she so far recovered
as with help to walk across the Room. A Ten Days agone a Laxness came on and held
with violence for some Days, has reduced her to extreme Weakness and I am apprehensive
that I must ere long have to lament the Loss of my Bosom Friend.

Be pleased to remember me to Mr. Adams & Miss Nabby. I wish { 427 } for the Return of You all. May God preserve You in Health, crown my Friend's Labours
with Success and believe me to be Your Affectionate Friend

7. See Tufts to JA, 10 Aug., above. Tufts' accounts show that £29 3s. 9 1/2d. in debts owed JA for his legal services were collected by Royall Tyler and paid to Tufts on 24 March.
The sum of £3 7d. paid on 15 Dec. 1784 to Tufts by Alexander Hill, perhaps the Boston
merchant and father of JA's 1774 law clerk Edward Hill, may also have been for JA's legal services (JA, Papers, 2:111; JA, Legal Papers, 1:ci). Together these sums amount to less than a tenth of the Adams' Massachusetts revenues
for the fourteen months covered by Tufts' accounts.